The Union, this year, continued to press for the completion of a long-outstanding job evaluation exercise for the employees it represents at the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC). Our Union, during the 2016 round of negotiations, proposed to the Management that a joint Union/Management job evaluation exercise be conducted. Following consideration, the DHCB’s Management and Board of Directors approved the exercise. As a result of agreement reached, the Corporation employed the services of a HR Consultant who was charged, among other things, with assisting the evaluation process. The Consultant who began work in 2017 addressed some other areas of its work before turning its attention to the evaluation process. Our Union during this time was actively representing that the process commence recognising that the workers were eager to have it completed.
The evaluation began to pick up steam during 2018. During that process, there were visits and interactions with the workers to get a better understanding of the responsibilities and requirements for each job. After many man hours of work, job descriptions for the unionized categories of workers were completed around October, 2018. It was agreed that focus would move to the non-unionised jobs and then the process would be wrapped up. Of course, our Union, not speaking on behalf of the non-unionised employees was not included in those deliberations.
Recognising the time was elapsing, the Union wrote the Management of the DHBC to enquire about the status of the process as we and the workers were anxious to have the process completed. No responses were received to our correspondences. Subsequently, a number of workers petitioned the Management on the matter. Following receipt of the petition, the Management, together with the consultant, met the Union and the shop stewards and committed to sharing copies of the completed job descriptions and the new proposed salary bands. The proposed salary bands were to be negotiated between the Union and the Corporation. A few weeks after, the Management did share the job descriptions but the salary bands were absent. We immediately wrote the Company querying the non-submission. On several occasions, we reminded the DHBC about the outstanding information but the Corporation remained adamant in denying us the information.
Having not received an answer from the Management and in the absence of a Board, now for almost two (2) years, we wrote Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson on the matter. He did not acknowledge our correspondence. We subsequently wrote Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma who agreed to meet with us. We shared with Minister Sharma all the details regarding the matter and later, in writing, shared our explanations. Since then we have not heard from Minister Sharma either and we intend to once again engage him on the matter.
After a prolonged delay, the DHBC General Manager responded a few weeks ago to say that our Union was not entitled to the salary band information. Indeed, the Manager’s response was surprising as we were an active participant in the process and thus have a vested interest. We have since responded to the DHBC on the matter and so far we are yet to hear from them. Obviously, this matter will be pursued diligently by our Union.
